Samuel Carlyle "Sam" Richardson AUGUST 15, 2018

SAMUEL CARLYLE RICHARDSON, Sam was born October 26, 1946 in Moberly, MO, to Samuel Carlyle and Gertrude Richardson. He attended Moberly Public Schools and the upper division of Moberly Junior College.

He was a communications professional for over 50 years, working as newspaper reporter, editor and publisher; campaign media manager and general consultant; United States Senate personal staff and committee press secretary; and Reagan-Bush Administration sub-Cabinet spokesman.

In 1989, he became self-employed as a consultant to private industry, government, non-profits and political candidates and organizations.

He traveled extensively throughout North America, Europe and Asia for political and business clients.

He was hired by former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole in 1973 and served as spokesman, press secretary and media manager for Dole’s 1974 re-election run. He handled numerous campaign and Senate assignments for Dole, including press secretary/director of public affairs for the United States Senate Committee on Finance. Sam was the press aide with Dole the day President Nixon resigned in August 1974 and when terrorists exploded a bomb outside the Republican cloakroom in the Senate in November 1983. He was at Russell, Kansas, when Dole announced his campaign for president in July 1996.

In addition to Senator Dole, Richardson worked with and for Senators Kit Bond and Jim Talent of Missouri, Susan Collins of Maine, Thad Cochran of Mississippi and Sam Brownback of Kansas.

He served as communications director for the National Republican Congressional Committee, was executive director of the National Federation of Pachyderms and spokesman for The President’s Dinner.

He served as an election-cycle chairman of the Randolph County, Republican Central Committee. He also was the Missouri 9th Congressional District Republican Committee Chairman on behalf of Rep. Kenny Hulshof.

He was a passionate about civic responsibility and serving his beloved community. He has served on the Moberly Parks and Recreation board, the Little Dixie Regional Library board, and was a founding member, as well as past president, of the Randolph Area YMCA, the Moberly Rotary Club, the Moberly Area Community College Alumni Association, and the Randolph County Pachyderm Club. He was awarded the Tough Tusk award from this National Federation of the Grand Order of Pachyderms in 2011. He served on the Randolph County EXCEL program board, and the Randolph County Extension board. He was recently selected as a national "Friend of Extension” award recipient for his service to the University of Missouri Extension. He was scheduled to receive this award in October.

He will be remembered for his knowledge of Moberly’s own General Omar Bradley and for his efforts to leave a lasting legacy of General Bradley in the Moberly community.

Sam is survived by three children, Sam (Diane) Richardson, Amy (Mark) Hager, and Zachary (Angie) Richardson; four grandchildren, Madeline and Katherine Hager, Max and Owen Richardson; two sisters, Ruth Ann (Dean) Marriott, and Mischel Cummins; two nephews, Rustin (Melissa) Dutcher, Brandon (Kara) Marriott, one niece Chandra (Paul) Artman; and great nieces and nephews, Ella, Harrison, and Grayson Marriott, Regan and Finley Dutcher, and Cole and Lexi Artman, in addition to many special friends from all over the world.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions would be appreciated to Moberly Spartan Athletics or the Sam Richardson Memorial Scholarship Fund.

There will not be a public visitation. Services honoring and celebrating Sam’s life will be Saturday, August 25, 2018 at 4:00 PM at the Moberly Area Community College Auditorium, doors will open at 3:30 PM.